Match-lighter.



J. A. CUNNINGHAM.

MATCH LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT,!,19I5.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Witnesses Zfi /m 73-17 mm JZ g Inventor,

m a Attorneys,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIOE.

JOHN A. CUNNINGHAM, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

MATCH-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed September 1, 1915. Serial No. 48,502.

To all whom itmay concern: I I 7 Be it known that I, JOHN A. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the'Unitedv States, residing at South Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Match- Lighter, of which theifollowing is. a specification. I .1

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for delivering and striking matches, the structure being of peculiar utility for use in connection with double-tipped matches.

The invention aims to provide novel means for delivering one match at a time from the receptacle portion of the device into the chute portion thereof; to provide novel means for closing. the top of the chute; to provide novel means for striking the match after the same has been advanced; and to provide novel means for advancing the match into coacting relation with respect to the striking means. i It is Within the province of the disclosure to improve generally .and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 shows the invention in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a fragrnental longitudinal section .wherein divers parts appear in elevation;

Fig-3 is a top plan Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5-is an endv tracted, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. In the end 5 of the tube 3 there is formed a slot 21. The tube 3 is provided with a slot 6 located below the receptacle 1, the construction being such that the match may pass readily from the receptacle into the tube. V R

Located in the receptacle 1 is a delivery member, preferably in the form of a shaft 7 journaled for rotation in the receptacle, the delivery member having a longitudinal recess 8 adapted to receive one match at a' time. One of the exposed ends of the rotatable delivery member 7 is provided with a lateral finger piece 9 whereby the delivery member may be rocked. The receptacle 1 is adapted to contain matches 10. The matches 10 are held in the receptacle 1 by means of a staple-shaped retainer 11, the arms of which are inserted through openings formed in the ends of the receptacle 1. The bond of the retainer 11 is fashioned into a ring 12 whereby the retainer may be withdrawn when desired. The free ends of the arms of the retainer 11 are provided with resilient,

enlarged heads 14: which, passing through I a lateral finger piece 17 whereby the striker may be controlled manually, if desired. Se-

cured to the forward end of the troughshaped body 16 and constituting a part of the striker is an attrition element 18, prefer ably made of metal. The under edge of the attrition element is equipped with a plurality of teeth 19 disposed in a line which slants upwardly and rearwardly. The striker 15 is mounted to swing on a pivot element 20 passing through the body portion 16 of the striker, the ends of the pivot ele ment 20 being mounted in the end 5 of the tube 3. The attrition element 18 is received in the slot 21 of the tube 3.

A match advancing means is provided,the same taking the form of a plunger 22 mounted to reciprocate in the tube 3. One 7 above the rotatable delivery member 7 and the staple-shaped retainer 11 is inserted into the receptacle 1 above the matches so as to hold the'same in place. One match 10 at a time is adapted to drop into the recess 8 of the delivery member, and if the delivery member be rotated by means of the finger piece 9, the selected match will drop into the tube 3 in advance of the head 23 of the plunger 22, it being understood thatprior to such an operation, the plunger has been retracted by the action of the compression spring25.

If the plunger 22 be moved to the left, the spring 25 Will be put under compression and the head 23 of the plunger will thrust the match forwardly. IVhen the match is thus advanced, the same enters the slot 21 in the end 5 of the tube and is thus thrust against the teeth 19 of the striker 15, the teeth being so arranged as to be peculiarly connected in igniting a double-tip match. The invention comprises a spring 27, one end of which bears against the inner end of the striker 15, the intermediate portion of the spring 27 being coiled as indicated at 28 around the pivot element 20 on which the striker 15 is mounted, the other end of the spring 27 being attached to one of the wings or side walls of the end v5 of the tube 3. This spring 27 serves to maintain theteeth 19 of the strikerin engagement with the'head of the match, while the match is being advanced by means of the plunger 22. WVhen the match is advanced by the plunger 22 and when the head of the match moves'in con-y tact with the teeth 19 of the striker, the match is ignited. Ultimately, the inner end of the match rests on the end 30 of the tube 3 at the base of the slot 21, the outer end of through finger pressure exerted on the element 17, and thus the burnt match is released. V The trough-shaped portion 4t of the structure serves as a shield for the match.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is r '1. Ina device of the class described, a

tube having a slot at one end; a troughshaped support mounted on said end of the tube and depressed at one end below the tube a striker fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the tube, one end of the striker coacting with the slot and lying within the contour of the support; resilient means for actuating the striker; a receptacle discharging into the tube; and a plunger mounted to reciprocate in the tube. 1

2. In a device of the class described, a tube having a slot at one end, and provided with a match-inlet opening; a trough-shaped sup- I port mounted on said end of thetube and depressed at one end below the tube; a striker fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the tube, one end of the striker coacting with the slot and lying within the support, the other end of the striker being extended toward the match inlet opening and constituting means whereby the striker may be tilted to release a match from the'support; spring means forractuating the striker to cause the same to coact with a match when the latter is advanced through the tube; and a match advan'cingplunger mounted toreciprocate in the tube. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, vI have hereto afiixed my signature. in the presence of two witnesses.

; JOHN A. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses: j w '1 FRANoIs CUNNINGHAM, MILTON P. CASHNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 5

Washington, no," 

